Heart Attack

Definition

A heart attack is the blockage of blood flow to an area of the heart. The heart tissue becomes damaged or dies within a short time after blood flow is stopped. If a large or vital area is affected the damage may stop the heart from working.

Causes

The coronary arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. A heart attacks occurs when blood flow is interrupted in these arteries because of one or more of the following:

Narrowing of the coronary arteries due to:

Thickening of the artery walls (common aging process)

Build up of fatty plaques inside the arteries

Spasm of the coronary arteries

Development of a blood clot in the arteries

Embolism, blood clot, that travels to the heart and blocks off smaller coronary arteries

The severity of the heart attack will depend on how much of the heart tissue was affected and how long the blockage lasted. The amount of heart tissue that is affected will depend on which artery is blocked. There are two main coronary arteries that gradually split down into smaller branches of arteries. If the blockage occurs in the larger arteries it will affect a larger area of the heart. If the blockage occurs further down in the smaller vessels it affects a smaller area of the heart.

Risk Factors

The risk of heart attack is greater in males and older adults.

Factors that affect the health of your blood vessels and increase your chance of developing a heart attack include:

Removing Blockages

If a blood clot is present, medications may be given to try to break up the clot. The sooner these medications are delivered the better the outcome will be. Ideally, the medications are delivered within the first 6 hours after symptoms appear.

Other blockages, blood clots that don't respond to medication or plaque build up, may need to be surgically managed. The procedure may need to be done immediately for severe blockages or delayed for a few days if there is adequate blood flow. Surgical options include:

Balloon angioplasty—a wire is passed through blood vessels and a device is used to open up the blocked artery. A stent may also be placed in the blood vessel to help keep it open.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)—an open surgery that uses a section of blood vessel from another part of the body to create a path around the blocked area.

Recovery

Cardiac rehabilitation can help during recovery after a heart attack. It may include monitoring during physical activity in the first few weeks of recovery and education on healthful nutrition and lifestyle changes.

A heart attack can be a major life event. It is common for people to experience depression
after having a heart attack.
Therapy
and
medication
can help manage these challenges.

Prevention

Many lifestyle habits influence the health of the blood vessels and heart. Healthy heart habits include:

Small daily doses of aspirin may help some people decrease their risk of aspirin. Aspirin for heart protection should only be done with a doctor's supervision since aspirin can cause complications like bleeding in the stomach or intestines. Aspirin may also interact with other medications like pain medications.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

What is a heart attack? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website. Available at:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/heartattack/. Updated December 13, 2013. Accessed September 29, 2014.